State Sen. Arreguin Proposes Ban for Law Enforcement to Wear Masks in California

TRANSCRIPT:

ARREGUIN: "Yeah, thank you. Just to elaborate, people covering their faces, impersonating police officers, it erodes trust in law enforcement and it undermines community safety. That’s really what this bill's about. And I think many law enforcement officials, legitimate law enforcement officials, would welcome putting in safeguards to ensure transparency and accountability. And I think the concern is a lot that’s happening, there are a lot of people who engage in these enforcement actions and we don’t know, are they federal, are they contractors, are they local law enforcement? So requiring the people not to wear masks, except for some very limited exceptions and that there be identifying information ensures that we know who is involved here. It’s also critical to uphold our state and local laws, including our sanctuary law SB.54, which says that local law enforcement are not going to be involved in immigration enforcement. So this is, I think, furthering the state’s efforts to ensure legitimate law enforcement purposes and to protect Californians."